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I've made lots of friends since I've been here, this is one of them. We were watching telly the other evening when my daughter heard a noise in the kitchen. I went through to see what was happening fearing another visit from stray dogs and imagine my surprise on seeing this little fellow. He was a handsome prince but turned into a frog/toad??? when I kissed him.

He seemed happy enough to pose for me so I took lots of photos

warty bliggens, the toad
By Don Marquis, in "archy and mehitabel," 1927


i met a toad
the other day by the name
of warty bliggens
he was sitting under
a toadstool
feeling contented
he explained that when the cosmos
was created
that toadstool was especially
planned for his personal
shelter from sun and rain
thought out and prepared
for him

do not tell me
said warty bliggens
that there is not a purpose
in the universe
the thought is blasphemy
a little more
conversation revealed
that warty bliggens
considers himself to be
the center of the same
universe
the earth exists
to grow toadstools for him
to sit under
the sun to give him light
by day and the moon
and wheeling constellations
to make beautiful
the night for the sake of
warty bliggens

to what act of yours
do you impute
this interest on the part
of the creator
of the universe
i asked him
why is it that you
are so greatly favored

ask rather
said warty bliggens
what the universe
has done to deserve me
if i were a
human being i would
not laugh
too complacently
at poor warty bliggens
for similar
absurdities
have only too often
lodged in the crinkles
of the human cerebrum

archy

http://www.donmarquis.com/readingroom/archybooks/warty.html

this is another friend I met on waking up the other morning. It's called a stick insect 'cos it looks like a stick (ask a silly question!! and if you don't know what a stick is check a dico do I look like an English teacher!!!!!!)  and is usually a master of disguises but was a bit at odds in the utility room. As you can see it stands out like a sore thumb against a white wall.

not much better against the yellow door
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Stick_insect